Iron Maiden, Deep Purple Stars Headed to Buddy Rich Tribute Concert

Iron Maiden‘s Bruce Dickinson and Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice are among a long list of musicians that will be paying tribute to the inimitable Buddy Rich at the London Palladium on Monday April 2.

According to Vintage Vinyl News, the show, dubbed the Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert, will mark the first time that the Rich tribute is being held in the United Kingdom, having previously sold out shows in Boston, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The memorial concert is slated to be hosted by Rich’s daughter Cathy and, alongside Paice, will also feature a cast of drummers including Dave Weckl, Gregg Bissonette and Ginger Baker. This will not be the first time that either Weckl and Bissonette have paid tribute to Rich, with both drummers having participated in Burning For Buddy, a project spearheaded by Rush drummer Neil Peart in the mid 1990′s that also included former Guns N Roses drummer Matt Sorum.

Buddy Rich is one of music’s most celebrated drummers and has been cited as an influence upon dozens of drummers from all genres. Billed as “the world’s greatest drummer”, Rich died at the age of 69 years old in 1987. While many drummers can certainly hold their own, Rich’s execution, style and speed remain arguably untouchable by any drummer.